Automatic measuring device.



Patented 061. I0, I899.

R. G. WHITLDCK. AuTmnATw MEASURING DEVICE.-

(Application flled Nov. 17, 1898) (No Model.)

rm: Nunms PETERS on. wmouma. wnsnmarom u c UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH o. WHlTLOCK, or nus MorNEs, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO a D. wnrTLooK, orLos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC MEASURING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,634, dated October10, 1899 Application filed November'l'i', 1898. Serial No. 696,745 (Nomodel.)

' T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county ofPolk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful AutomaticMeasuring Device, of which thefollowin g is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a cabinet of simple, strong,durable, and inexpensive construction in which a number of differentkinds of granular substances may be stored and uniform given quantitiesof such substances be quickly and easily taken therefrom.

My object is further and more specifically to provide mechanism ofimproved and simplified construction for measuring the substances anddischarging same.

My invention consists, essentially, in the details of construction ofthe valves and their operating means and in the combination there; of inthe cabinet, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in myclaims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of one of the complete measuringdevices detached from the cabinet and with parts broken away to showcertain details of construction. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of one of thevalves, and Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the cabinet with onecorner of the casing broken away to show the arrangement of themeasuring devices therein.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate the frame of the cabinet, which isdivided into compartments by the partitions 11. In the-top of eachcompartment is a hopper 12, in which the substance is stored. At itsfrontisahinged door 13, which may be opened to provide access to themeasuring devices, and the front is open at its bottom to provide access'to the measured substances.

At the bottom of each of the hoppers is a tube 14:, which is preferablysquare in crosssection, open at its top and bottom and having theopenings 15 in its front and back sides near its top and the likeopenings 16in its lower end portion. A tube-section 17, also squaretransversely, is telescoped over the upper end of the tube let and hasnarrow hori zontal slots at its front and back, the vertical slots 18 atits sides, and the tracks or guides 20 at its, sides below the slots 18.A screw-bolt 21 extends through the solid sides of the tube 14 andthrough the slots 18, thus providing for the vertical adjustmentof thetube 17 on the tube 14. A tube 23 of identical construction is mountedon the lower end of the tube 17. The uppervalve is composed of arectangularmetal frame 23, hav ing the inner edges of its side piecesdesigned to enter the tracks or guides 20 and be capable of slidinglongitudinally therein. In the outer edges of-said side pieces, near theforward end thereof, are the notches 24. In the central portion of theframe is the valve proper, 25, attached to the said frame at its frontand back only, with a space between its edges and the side of the frameand having the rear end thereof cut away, save, for a den- .tralsupportingpiece, for about one-third of its length.

Mounted in the lower tube-section 22 is a valve of identicalconstruction provided with a handle 26 to project forwardly therefrom.

At the central portion of the tube 14 is a frame 27, having at itsforward corners the journals 28, upon which the lovers 29 are fulcrumed.Said levers have tapered ends which enter the notches 24 in both valves,which valves are so arranged that when one is at its forward limit theother is at its rearward extreme.

d In practical use and assuming thatthe device were in the positionshown in Fig. 1 it is obvious that'the contents of the hopper would fillthe entire tube 14 as far as the lower valve. When it is desired tomeasure out a quantity of the substance, the handle 26 is pulled.lowervalve forwardly and, by reason of the levers 29, forcing the uppervalve rearwardly.

The said'upper valve is of such size as to close the opening through thetube 14: before the opening in the lowervalve comes into the tube 14,thus shutting 0d the upper end of the measurer. Then as the handle 26 isdrawn further the opening in the lower valve' permits the measuredsubstance in the tube to passout through the bottom of the tube.

This has the effect of drawing the Then as the handle is again pushedback the lower valve closes the tube before the upper valve is opened.WVhen said upper valve is finally opened, the tube 14 is filled again.By reason of the openings in the front and back of the tube let thevalves may be adjusted upon the tube and freely operate at any pointWithin the limit of the said openings. This adjustment is had by meansof the screwbolts at the sides of the movable tube-sections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, 1s-

1. In an automatic measuring device, an open-ended four-sided tube,tracks on the outside faces of two of the parallel sides of the tube,slots across the other two sides of the tube in the plane of the tracks,a frame fitted to slide on said tracks and a valve fixed to the frame toslide through said slots in the manner set forth for the purposesstated.

2. In an automatic measuring device, a quadrangular frame, havingnotches in its parallel sides for slidingly connecting levers therewith,a float-valve fitted in the frame and fastened to the ends of the framein such a manner as to leave narrow spaces between its side edges andthe parallel side bars of the frame, in combination with an open-endedfour-sided tube having tracks on two parallel sides to support saidframe and valve and transverse slots in its other two parallel sides forthe passage of the valve fixed to the frame and levers to enter thenotches in the frame, all arranged and combined to operate in the mannerset forth for the purposes stated.

3. An automatic measuring device, comprising a tube having horizontalopenings at its front and back at each end guides or tracks fixed to theouter surfaces of the sides of the tube adjacent to said openings, avalve at each end, each valve comprising a frame mounted for movement insaid track, and a valve proper fixed in each frame to pass through saidopenings and having a part at its rear end open, and levers fulcrumed tothe central portion of the tube and slidingly connected Wit-h each ofsaid frames carrying fixed valves to operate in the manner set forth forthe purposes stated.

4. An automatic measuring device, comprising in combination, anopen-ended tube rectangularin cross-section, and having openings initsfront and back near its top and bottom tube-sections adjustablyteleseoped to said ends and having narrow slots in their front and backfaces, tracks or guides at their sides, rectangular frames mounted insaid guides and having notches therein, a handle attached to one of theframes, a valve in each frame open at its rear end and two leversfulcrumed to the central portions of the tube with their ends in saidnotches substantially as and for the purposes stated.

RALPH G. WHITLOOK.

Witnesses:

ISAAC H. BINGHAM, J. M. SHERWOOD.

